Motor.



No. 680,204. Patented Aug. 6, |90I. A. H. HOADLEY.

MOTOR. (Application med 11.24, 1599.)

(No lloel.)

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UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED H. HOADLEY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO PNEUMATIC CARRIAGE COMPANY, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,204, dated August 6, 1901. Application filed January 24, 1899. Serial No. 703,219. (No model.)

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Be it known that I, ALFRED H. HOADLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vorccster, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in motors, and has especial reference to motors of the steam-turbine type and to the application of same to the propulsion of vehicles.

A defect of steam-turbines Which is of especial importance in their application to locomotive purposes is the comparatively small starting torque or effort they are able to eX- ert. To increase this torque, lluse as the motive agent a mixture of water and steam resulting from the expansion of hot Water; but even with this provision the starting torque, with ordinary means of mechanical transmission is insufficient, and the main feature of my invention is the interposition of a variable-speed gearing, preferably friction-gearing, between the turbine and the part to be driven thereby, so that the turbine may run continuously at very high speed, while the speed of the driven part maybe varied Within wide limits, and in starting the ratio of speed reduction, and therefore the starting torque, may be rendered sucient to start the vehicle even with the slight torque of a turbine.

Theoretically the starting torque of a steamturbine might be indefinitely increased by simply increasing the ratio of reduction in the gearing if it were not for the fact that the-maximum speed of the turbine is limited both by mechanical conditions and by the velocity of the steam-j et, so that there is a limit to the ratio. of reduction when the driven shaft of the engine is running at full speed; but by means of the variable gear the effective starting torque maybe rendered comparatively great, and then when the motor speeds up the ratio of reduction may be decreased, so as to enable the driven part to attain full speed without excessive rapidity of rotation of the impact-Wheel.

A turbine supplied with hot water as a driving agent is particularly suited for the propulsion of automobiles on account of the comparative noiselessness and simplicity of same as compared with the pressure-operated engines and on account of its high starting torque as compared with the steam-turbine proper. The variable-gear feature is also of importance in this connection. Inasmuch as a turbine is capable of operation in only one direction, l provide also reversing means in the trausmitting-gear,the variable gear above referred to being preferably arranged to reverse or to cut oif the transmitting connection when desired. Means are provided for cutting off the supply of driving Huid when the said transmitting connection is disconnected. This disconnection takes place when the controller is in its middle position, so that motion of the controller to one side or theother will operate to turn on pressure from the fluid-pressure reservoir and simultaneously to connect the transmitting mechanism to drive the vehicle in one direction or the other, as the case may be.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Which form a part of this specification, Figure l is a diagrammatic vertical section of a motor-vehicle provided With myinvention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the motor and the frictional transmitting-gearing.

Referring to Fig. l, the frame or body l of the vehicle is supported in the usual manner on wheels 2 and carries the hot-water or fluidpressure reservoir 3 and the driving-motor4.

The said motor is an impact steam engine or turbine and may, as indicated in Fig. 2, comprise an impact-wheel 4a, mounted on shaft 5, journaled in suitable bearings in the frame, and a nozzle 6, which is adapted to deliver to the buckets of said wheel a jet of mixed Water and steam, led to said nozzle from the reservoir 3 through a pipe 7, in which is interposed the throttle-valve 8. The pipe 7 leads from the lower part of reservoir 3,50 as to draw water and notv steam therefrom. The hot water in reservoir 3 is at a pressure greatly abovetheatmospheric pressure-for example, a pressure of several hundred pounds per square inch-so that when the throttle-valve is opened a stream of water is forced out through nozzle 6, and a portion of such Water is expanded in the nozzle to form steam,which issues at a high velocity, carrying the unexpanded portion of the water with it, and this IOO mixture of Water and steam impinging on,

the impact-Wheel 4a exerts a rotary force or torque therein which is proportionate to the mass so delivered and its velocity. The water delivered along with the steam has thus .sleeve 11 carries two friction collars or wheels 1l 11b, whereby it engages with disk 9 on one side or the other of the center of same, according to the longitudinal position of said sleeve. When this sleeve is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the two collars 1l l1b are just beyond the periphery of the disk, on either side thereof, so that the transmittinggear is disconnected. By moving this sleeve longitudinallyv on the shaft one way or the other the collar 11a or the collar 11b will be brought into engagement with disk 9, and the said disk will thus be rotated in one direction or the other, the speed of rotation being at a minimum at first and gradually increasing as the driving-wheel Il or 11b is brought closer to the center of disk 9. To shift the sleeve 11 in this manner, I provide controlling mechanism consisting, for eX- ample, of a lever 12, pivoted to the frame l and engaging at one end bya yoke-and-groove connection with the sleeve 1l, the other end of said lever engaging by a pin 13 in agroove 14 of a controller-cylinder 15, having a handle 16. The groove 14 is inclined in a helical manner, as shown, so that as the controllerhandle is turned the lever l2 will be operated to shift the sleeve 1l.. Associated with such controlling means I provide means for cutting off the supply of motive fluid when the gearing is in the disconnected position, such means consisting of a lever 17, controlled by a groove 18 in cylinder 15 and connected to the throttle-valve 8. The groove 18 is doubly inclined, as shown, so that in the middle7 position of the handle 16 the lever 17 is held in one extreme position to close the valve 8, and on moving the handle either way the 1ever 17 will be thrown to open the valve 8.

Thus when the handle is turned to position to disconnect the motor the supply of hot Water is cut oi at the same time. If this shutting 0E is only temporary and the controller is moved within a short time to admit the motive fluid again, the turbine wheel, having been disconnected so as to run freely, will still be rotating at a high speed and its momentum will aid in starting the vehicle.

Moreover, even in starting from a position of K rest the motive agent may be admitted to the turbine before the transmitting-gearing is operatively engaged, so that the wheel 4a is enabled to speed up to some extent before the load is brought on, and thus the difficulty of starting is partially overcome.y

Braking and steering mechanisms are of course provided, but are not shown, as they form no part of my present invention.

The reservoir 3 may have iilling tap or connection 20.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isy 1. rlhe combination in a motor-vehicle, of a fluid-pressure reservoir supported on the vehicle, an impact-motor having a connection to said reservoir, a valve in said connection, a controller for said valve, and transmittinggearing between the motor and a drivingwheel of the vehicle, said transmitting-gearing comprising a variable-speed mechanism and a controller for said variable-speed mechanism.

2. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of a fluid-pressure reservoir supported in the vehicle, an impact-motor having a connection with said reservoir, a variable-speed and reversible transmitting mechanism operatively connecting said motor to a driving-wheel of the vehicle, and a controller for said mechanism.

3. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of-a huid-pressure reservoir supported in the vehicle, an impact-motor having a connection with such reservoir, a throttle-valve in such connection, a variable-speed and `:reversing mechanism connecting said motor to a driving-wheel of the vehicle, and a controller connected to said variable-speed and reversing mechanism and to the said throttle-valve to control the same simultanously.

ALFRED H. HOADLEY.

Witnesses:

CLARENCE H. N EIMYER, C. M. CLAYTON.

IOO 

